The present invention relates to an air conditioner equipped with a cleaning unit that automatically removes dust, dirt, yarn wastes, and the like, all of which adhere to filters (which will be called “dust” in the following descriptions) and, more particularly, to a structure that enables prevention of a decrease in dust removal power of cleaner (which will be called a “cleaning brush” in the following descriptions) and normal cleaning of a filter.
An indoor unit of an air conditioner has hitherto been equipped with a filter for preventing entry of dust into the indoor unit from an air inlet. Since the dust settles on the filter with elapse of time, a user must remove the filter from the indoor unit at the most suitable time and clean the thus-removed filter.
Since the indoor unit of the air conditioner is usually disposed at an elevated location in a room, operation for removal attachment of the filter is laborious, and operation for diligently removing dust adhering to the filter is also laborious, and hence operation for cleaning the filter tends to be avoided.
However, if the filter is left while dust remains settled on the filter, the rate of flow of air will decrease, which may deteriorate the efficiency of heat exchange, cause mold to grow in the dust, and induce a foul odor or house dust which will be responsible for an allergy condition. Accordingly, some air conditioners equipped with a cleaning unit that automatically cleans dust adhering to a filter have recently been provided and received attention.
In a structure of a cleaning unit known as such an indoor unit of an air conditioner having a cleaning unit, the cleaning unit itself is moved from one side to the other side of a filter while a cleaning brush remains in contact with the filter, thereby removing the dust adhering to the filter and recover the thus-removed dust (see; for instance, Patent Document 1).
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a main unit cabinet 100 has an air inlet 121 provided over the entire surface of an upper surface panel 106 and an air outlet 113 equipped with right and left wind direction plates 115, up and down wind direction plates 116, and the like. A blow fan 101 and heat exchangers 102a to 102c are housed in the main unit cabinet 100.
Interposed between the air inlet 121 and the heat exchangers 102a, 102b and 102c are a filter 103 for catching dust included in an air that has been taken in from the air inlet 121 and travel toward the heat exchangers 102a, 102b and 102c; a cleaning unit 300 for removing the dust adhering to the filter 103; and a guide frame 210 that supports the filter 103 and that is intended for vertically reciprocating the cleaning unit 300 along the filter 103.
As shown in FIG. 20, the cleaning unit 300 that travels along the filter 103 is equipped with a dust box 300a. The dust box includes a box main unit 310 having open upper and lower surfaces; a top panel 320 that covers an opening in an upper surface of the box main unit 310; a cleaning brush 330 disposed on a front surface side of the filter 103 in a rotatable and contactable manner; and dust collector 340 (hereinafter taken as a “dust collection brush” in the following descriptions) that is provided on one interior side surface of the box main unit 310 and that scrapes the dust adhering to the cleaning brush 330.
Further, a filter support plate 300b is provided by way of a box mounter 250 that supports the dust box 300a. The filter support plate has a base plate 410 extending between the guide frames 210 and a support main unit 420 that is attached integrally to the base plate 410 and that supports a back side of the filter 103.
From the above, the cleaning unit 300 of Patent Document 1 is configured such that the dust box 300a having the cleaning brush 330 is arranged on the front surface side of the filter 103; that the filter support plate 300b for supporting the filter 103 is disposed on the back side of the filter 103 opposing the dust box 300a; and that the dust box 300a and the filter support plate 300b are vertically moved along the guide frame 210, thereby removing the dust adhering to the filter 103. The dust removed by the cleaning brush 330 can be collected by the dust collection brush 340 and stored in the dust box 300a; hence, contamination of the inside of the main unit cabinet 100, which would otherwise be caused when the dust is scattered outside, can be prevented.
In the indoor unit of the air conditioner having the cleaning unit 300 described in Patent Document 1, the cleaning unit 300 is vertically moved along the guide frame 210 at the time of cleaning of the filter 103; dust is removed by bringing the cleaning brush 330 into contact with the surface of the filter 103; and the thus-removed dust is scratched and collected by the dust collection brush 340. In the meantime, when the filter 103 is not cleaned, the cleaning unit 300 is returned to lower ends of the guide frames 210 that serve as a home position and remains on standby while held in contact with the surface of the filter 103.
As shown in FIG. 19, the cleaning unit 300 is designed so as to enable the user to remove the dust box 300a from the box mounter 250. A top panel 320 is removably attached to one end of the box main unit 310, and the user can sweep the dust box 300a by opening the top pane 320.
However, even when the filter 103 is not cleaned, the cleaning brush 330 remains in contact with the surface of the filter 103. Hence, if the cleaning brush 330 is left until when the filter 103 is cleaned, ends of the cleaning brush 330 will be kinked and deformed. There is no alternative way but to exchange the cleaning brush 330 having the kinked ends.
In the meantime, in a case where the user rotates the cleaning brush 330 by means of cleaning the dust box 300a itself and closes the top panel 320 while the cleaning brush is directed to the outside of the box main unit 310, the cleaning brush 330 is left until the time when the filter 103 is cleaned while remaining in contact with the surface of the filter 103 when the thus-removed dust box 300a is attached to the box mounter 250. Accordingly, the ends of the cleaning brush 330 will be deformed as in the case where the filter 103 is not cleaned.
Therefore, at the time of actual cleaning of the filter 103, the ends of the cleaning brush 330 fail to properly contact the filter 103 by means of deformation of the ends of the cleaning brush 330. Dust removal capability of the filter 103, which could originally be exhibited, is deteriorated, thereby posing a problem of a failure to properly clean the filter 103.    [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2007-107764 (pp. 6 to 13, FIGS. 2, 6, and 13)